Smile
by Msario
Summary: Makato and Mukuro sit in the shade, talking comfortably among each other. Mukuro smiles. It was a small smile. But it was still a smile.


Makato stared at Mukuro, for quite a long duration of time. The girl had known he had been doing so, but only commented on it after a few uncomfortable seconds.

"Is something wrong, Makato-kun?"

The teenage boy was pulled from his thoughts, and answered somewhat vacantly.

"Huh? Oh, no, not really."

A light breeze played with the hair of the two individuals, gently making the grass sway around them. The sun beat down harshly on the field they sat, side by side, in. It didn't bother them, though, as they were resting under the shade of the tree, which offered them shelter from the intense rays of light.

A few more seconds passed, and Makato didn't elaborate any further on his claims. Mukuro wasn't quite satisfied with that answer, and continued her questioning.

"Then why, Makato-kun, have you been staring at me so intensely?"

Makato blushed, and gave his reasons.

"I couldn't help but admire how beautiful you were, Mukuro-chan."

Mukuro's body went stiff, and after a moment of silence, she turned her face away from Makato's gaze. She still wasn't comfortable with showing her emotions, even in front of the one she felt so comfortable around. Her face had turned the slightest shades of red, and she was too embarrassed to show Makato her reaction.

"Thank you, Makato-kun. But there is really no need to state such things." Her usually completely flat tone of voice shook, if just by a tiny bit.

A tiny bit, that Makato just managed to hear. He smiled.

"You know, it's fine to show your emotions. You don't always have to hide them."

Mukuro calmed down, enough for her to turn back to Makato. "But then, I would be showing weakness."

Makato laughed. "What, so I'm showing weakness right now? How about everyone else? It isn't a bad thing to do, Mukuro-chan."

"You are like an open book, Makato-kun," Mukuro stated bluntly. "I could manipulate you quite easily."

"Really? I don't think so..." Makato didn't consider himself to a person who could be talked into doing things easily.

Mukuro shook her head.

"You are. You display all your emotions freely, making it easy for me to evoke certain reactions."

"Certain reactions?"

"Like anger. If I try to provoke you, I will easily know whether or not I succeeded. Then, when we fight, you'll be much more open, and make more reckless attacks."

Makato looked at Mukuro with a degree of awe. "That's amazing, you know. Not many people think about stuff like that, especially here."

"Yes, but there are a few who do. It's not good for a soldier to let their guard down. That's how I managed to live as long as I have."

"And without a single scratch on your body." Makato smiled admiringly at Mukuro.

Mukuro usually didn't mind, or care, for such admiration. She got it all the time from employers and teammates, and was quite used to it.

When Makato complemented her, however, she felt a certain degree of pride. It made her want Makato to praise her even more than he constantly did.

The boy's smile grew mischievous.

"Well, what if I was actually a secret agent? What if I was a mercenary, and was here to kill you for all your meddling?"

Mukuro shook her head, not even giving the idea thought.

"That couldn't be true. It would be an impossible scenario."

Makato looked slightly let down. "You aren't even going to consider it?"

Mukuro glared straight at Makato, her blank eyes reaching into the depths of his soul.

"No, Makato-kun. You are much too innocent to be a soldier of any kind."

That might be why she loved being with him so much. She had a childhood filled with violence and death and much, much more. She considered herself tainted by war. Everybody did, and treated her with a certain degree of caution.

This brown haired boy, however, so warmly and kindly opened up his heart to her. A heart that was completely pure, not touched by any kind of despair, or misery, or anything of the sort. His heart was so full of innocence and hope, the war-torn girl was almost blinded by it.

She felt comfortable around Makato. A comfort that she had probably never previously experienced in her life. Mukuro felt content, and more relaxed than she had ever been. There was a slight tug, at the corners of her mouth.

Makato's eyes widened, and he smiled the biggest smile he possibly could.

"Ah! Is that a smile, Mukuro-chan?"

Mukuro covered her mouth with her hand, as if she had done something shameful.

"Don't!" Makato complained. "C'mon! I want to see your smile more!"

He moved towards Mukuro, laughing. His fingers grabbed at the hand covering Mukuro's mouth, and gently pulled them away from her face.

Mukuro could have easily held him off, resisted, killed him in 7 different ways from the current positions they were in. The usually expressionless girl was so deeply embarrassed, though, that she merely let it happen, her emotions barely within her control. She blushed, her pale face turning a dark shade of red.

Makato held her hands in his. He took in the image of her smile, and imprinted it so that it would be forever in his mind. Mukuro might be a child born in war, who's probably ended nearly every life she's come across, but at this moment, Makato was sure there was nothing more cute, and innocent, in the world.

Her smile was all Makato needed. He was happy with his life, and he could die right then and there, and be fine with it. As long as he had her smile.

He would do his very best to coax that smile back into existence, and protect it with all he was.

They stared at each other in silence.

"I think you're cuter when you smile, Mukuro-chan. A lot cuter."

"Am I?" Her monotone voice was at the edges of her control, and she could barely keep it in check.

Makato nodded. "Yes, you really are. You should smile more, a whole lot more."

There it was again. A slight tug at the corners of Mukuro's mouth.

"Then, maybe I will. Just for you."

Makato blushed at that statement.

Mukuro was blushing very subtly as well.

And, barely visible, was a slight curve on her mouth.

A very small smile, but a smile, nonetheless.

* * *

_Hello, reader. Thanks for clicking and reading, I appreciate it. _

_I'd appreciate it even more if you review. Even if you hated it. Let me feel your hate, and why you hated it. _

_Just, not too much, alright? You'll hurt my feelings. _


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